Employer branding is at the crux of any great recruiting strategy. As social media outlets become commonplace destinations for both consumers and employers alike, it’s important to maintain control of your brand and position your company effectively in front of potential job candidates. When creating an employer brand strategy for recruiting, there are many mediums at your disposal to choose from.
Never before in the history of advertising have employers had so many tools to broadcast their brand to large audiences. Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, along with more common place advertising tools like online job postings, enable employers to push out their message to targeted and engaged audiences. Even conventional job advertising outlets are now more precisely targeted so that employers aren’t just posting and praying. For example, Circa lets employers connect with in demand diversity candidates. You can also target by geography, state, city and zip, or by industry, job title or keyword.
Brand visibility online is important, but it’s also crucial to maintain control of your online brand presence. If you are on social media, odds are you’ve relinquished some power and influence to your audience. It’s impossible to constantly police your brand, and it’s also not a good idea. The point is to be transparent – not completely so that you reveal all your corporate intelligence, but enough to gain the trust and respect of your fans and followers. When you create a trustworthy employer brand, naturally the appeal of working for your company will follow. For example, if your company is passionate about philanthropy, get your audience involved and show them how you’re giving back. Ask them to vote for a charity on your Facebook fan page, or post ideas about volunteering. When people uncover the personality of a company, you’ll attract like-minded candidates.
One inexpensive and relatively innovative way to champion your brand is to get your employees blogging and tweeting on social media. Create ’brand ambassadors’ that are embedded in the thick of the masses. These ambassadors should be engaging your target audience, blogging about the workplace, and posting fun videos and pictures. Be mindful in selecting corporate ambassadors, and also be sure that they maintain a consistent, controlled employer brand message.
Other inexpensive but efficient ways to enhance your employer brand include creating a content-rich employer profile page on job sites. If your job posting only redirects candidates back to your corporate site, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. You can keep candidates engaged without risking the loss of their attention by creating a branded employer profile page which reinforces your corporate message and mission along with the current job openings that candidates are assessing.
When considering a new employer brand strategy for recruiting, keep in mind that your entire company encompasses your brand. It’s not just a concept created in a marketing meeting – it is the expressions, discussions, and output of you organization as a whole. Your recruiting initiatives should reflect this, or you risk creating a false perception about your company.
Ultimately, crafting a brand that is consistent with your workplace culture will result in attracting the most relevant talent, which will in turn lead to a much higher employee retention rate.